11 I'm in the same boat with Fidelity! Did anyone actually try calling Vanguard the old-fashioned way? What number did you use? The main customer service line has kept me on hold for ages.

I've been dealing with a similar issue with my Schwab account - turns out there can be several reasons why tax forms don't show up online even when they should. One thing that helped me was checking if there were any unresolved account issues or if I had any pending transactions that might be holding up form generation. Also, if you had any dividend reinvestments or automatic investments during the year, sometimes those can complicate the form processing timeline. Vanguard might be waiting for final cost basis adjustments before releasing your forms. I'd definitely recommend calling that tax support line someone mentioned - the regular customer service reps often don't have access to the same information as the tax document specialists. When you do call, have your account number ready and ask specifically about "form generation status" rather than just asking about missing forms.

For those suggesting spreadsheets alongside QBSE - I wrote a simple Google Sheets template specifically for Etsy sellers using QBSE who need COGS tracking. Happy to share the link if anyone's interested. It's free and has formulas to calculate everything you need for Schedule C.

I've been dealing with this exact same frustration! As a tax professional who works with a lot of small business owners using QBSE, I can confirm that the software really isn't designed for product-based businesses, despite what their marketing suggests. Here's what I recommend to my clients: Use QBSE's expense categories to track your material purchases (I usually suggest "Supplies" or "Cost of Goods Sold" if that category is available in your version), but keep detailed records outside the system. The key is consistency in how you categorize things. For your jewelry business specifically, track each material purchase in QBSE with detailed descriptions like "Silver wire - 20ft - Inventory" so you can easily identify inventory-related expenses later. Then maintain a simple inventory log separately to track quantities, costs per unit, and what you have on hand. At tax time, you'll manually calculate COGS using the standard formula: Beginning Inventory + Purchases - Ending Inventory = COGS. This goes on Schedule C line 42, and you'll need to fill out the additional COGS details on lines 35-41. It's not perfect, but it's completely legitimate and you won't need to upgrade. The IRS cares that your COGS calculation is accurate, not that it came directly from your accounting software.

Tax person here - some practical advice on statute of limitations: 1) Federal: 3 years normally, 6 years if you omit >25% of income, unlimited if fraud or no return filed when required 2) States vary widely! Some follow federal rules, others have different timeframes entirely 3) The "no requirement to file" situation: Technically true that there's no violation if you weren't required to file. BUT proving that years later can be challenging without documentation 4) Documentation is key - keep records of income for at least 7 years, especially for cash/1099 work 5) If you get notices like OP did, ALWAYS respond and keep copies of all correspondence The most practical approach is to file simple returns even when below thresholds, just for the paper trail. It's easier than explaining yourself years later.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar boat with state taxes - been under the filing threshold for a few years but always worried about getting notices. After reading everyone's experiences, I think I'm going to start filing simple returns even when not required, just for the documentation. The peace of mind seems worth the small effort, especially after hearing about people successfully using services like taxr.ai to get proper documentation of their filing requirements. One question for the tax professionals here - if I start filing now for previous years where I was under the threshold, is there any specific way I should note on the return that I'm filing voluntarily? Or do I just file normally and let the low income speak for itself? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the various services too. It's reassuring to know there are options if I ever need to get through to the IRS or state tax office quickly.

Don't forget about state tax incentives too! I'm in California and we have additional state incentives for energy efficient upgrades beyond the federal credits. Many states have their own programs that stack with federal benefits. Check your state's tax website or energy department for local incentives.

Just wanted to add some perspective on the 401k loan vs HELOC decision since I went through this exact choice last year. While the HELOC interest deduction is appealing, don't forget that 401k loans have some hidden advantages too. With a 401k loan, you're essentially paying interest to yourself since it goes back into your account. The interest rates are typically lower than HELOCs (mine was 4.25% vs 6.8% for the HELOC), and there's no credit check or lengthy approval process. You can usually get the money within a week. However, the big risk is if you lose your job - you typically have to repay the entire loan within 60-90 days or it becomes a taxable distribution with penalties. Given your $210K balance, a $50K-60K loan would be manageable and keep you well under the typical 50% limit. For your situation, maybe consider a hybrid approach: use a 401k loan for the immediate work that qualifies for tax credits (like the solar panels), then use a HELOC for the kitchen and basement work where you can deduct the interest. This way you maximize both the tax credits AND the interest deduction benefits. Also, timing matters - if you can complete the solar installation before year-end, you can claim that 30% credit on your 2025 return, which could help offset some of the other renovation costs.

I'm going through the exact same situation! Filed my NC return on February 14th (federal and state together) and received my federal refund of $1,156 on March 3rd, but still waiting on my NC refund of $423. This is also my first year reporting retirement income from a 401k distribution, so I'm wondering if that's what's causing the extended processing time. The NC website has shown "being processed" for over 6 weeks now with no change. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really helpful - it sounds like 7-9 weeks has become the new standard for returns with retirement income this year. I'm at day 48 now, so hopefully I'll see some movement soon. It's frustrating that NC takes so much longer than federal, especially when you're used to getting both refunds around the same time in previous years. But at least now I know this delay pattern is common and not necessarily a sign that something's wrong with my return. Thanks for starting this thread - it's reassuring to know so many of us are in the same boat!

I'm experiencing almost the exact same timeline as many of you! Filed on February 12th and received my federal refund ($967) on February 28th, but still waiting on my NC state refund of $534. This is also my first year including retirement income (pension rollover), so seeing everyone's experiences with retirement income causing 7-9 week delays is actually really reassuring. I'm at day 51 now and was starting to panic that something was wrong with my return, but it sounds like this extended timeline has become the new normal for NC this year, especially with retirement income involved. The "being processed" status hasn't budged in over 7 weeks, which was making me nervous, but clearly that's standard based on everyone's reports here. Going to follow the advice to wait until I hit the full 8 weeks before calling. Thanks for creating this thread - it's so helpful to know we're all going through the same frustrating wait together!